Screen Settings Refusing To Change, Possible Virus(es)

Dear TomCoyote Admins, I use the outdated version of Windows ME on my now 7 year-old computer. As I only use the computer for internet- and document-related functions (plus the occasional DVD screening), this package has sufficed until my move to graduate school next year. Last night, there was a major storm in my city. My computer shut down while still in idle mode –my screen saver was up and there was no other activity– and the power remained out for several hours. When I regained power, my computer turned on again, but with new screen settings: very large icons, less resolution, wavy lines, etc. I figured the computer had started in Safe Mode, but the problem did not fix itself when I restarted the computer. I've since reset the screen area settings manually from 640 X 480 pixels to the normal setting, but the computer refuses to alter the settings upon restart. I really don't know how to tackle this problem, and I'm not certain if I have a virus which is blocking my attempts at fixing the screen area settings. I ran both Ad-Aware and Spybot searches, but to no avail. Any assistance would be most helpful. -Brandon Taper

Hi, Sorry to hear of the problems with your computer. As your machine is running Win ME it may be more vulnerable to attack by malicious elements, (no new critical updates etc) but the storm and the power cut (outrage) may well be relevant. Are you operating through an UPS a surge protector or is your machine a laptop? Have you tried to use System Restore to put your machine back to a time before the trouble started? Regards paws

I just ran a System Restore (I had no idea about this feature prior to your mentioning it), and it completely fixed the problem. My settings returned to a smaller size, with much clearer resolution, and the waviness has gone. I thank you very much! Still, I wonder why the settings would not alter themselves when I switched them manually. Thanks again!

Hi shakes428isdead, That is good news, well done on fixing the problem. System Restore can be a most valuable tool as it can restore registry settings that often make the difference between failure and success when you are trying to alter back settings and values. It is a good idea to always set up a Restore Point before you make any system changes/install new applications etc. If things go wrong then you have an additional tool that can be used if the normal uninstall/change back settings for some reason don't work. Regards paws